Tsunoda's Red Bull promotion regret: Leaving behind a 'pretty good f***ing car' at Racing Bulls

Yuki Tsunoda's 2025 promotion to Red Bull Racing ultimately left him without a race seat for 2026, but his biggest regret isn't about the move itself. Instead, he laments walking away from the Racing Bulls VCARB 02—a car he believes was a hidden gem in the midfield and one he never got to fully exploit.

Why it matters:

Tsunoda's candid reflection highlights the brutal trade-offs in Formula 1, where a long-sought promotion can come at the cost of abandoning a competitive project you helped build. His story underscores the emotional and professional complexity drivers face when opportunity clashes with unfinished development cycles.

The details:

• Tsunoda started 2025 strongly with Racing Bulls, but was promoted to Red Bull after just three races due to Liam Lawson's struggles.
• He now calls the VCARB 02 a "pretty good f***ing car," believing it was one of the strongest midfield packages.
• The Japanese driver describes leaving the car as "throwing away your kids, your baby," noting it contained his "DNA" from years of development under the current regulations.
• His Red Bull stint was challenging; an early crash at Imola set him back, and he often received upgrades after teammate Max Verstappen.
• Despite the results gap, Tsunoda insists the raw performance difference was often minimal, claiming he was rarely more than four or five tenths behind in qualifying once he had comparable car specs.

The big picture:

Tsunoda's career trajectory mirrors a common F1 dilemma: the grass isn't always greener. His four-year wait for a Red Bull seat resulted in a single, pressure-filled season before being replaced by rookie Isack Hadjar. While he acknowledges Verstappen's superiority, he takes pride in how quickly he adapted to the top team in what he calls "the tightest field in history."

What's next:

Tsunoda will remain with Red Bull in a test and reserve role for 2026, aiming for a full-time return. His experience serves as a poignant reminder that in F1's ruthless driver market, timing and car development cycles can be as crucial as raw talent. The unfinished business he feels is not with Red Bull, but with the Racing Bulls project he was forced to abandon mid-development.